If you have no sound on your Apple iPhone 3 / 3GS / 4 / 4S / 5 / 5S / 5C/ 6/ 6Plus/ iPhone 6s/ 6s Plus/ iPhone 7, 8, 8Plus and the iPhone X, iPhone Xs volume bar, it is unbelievably frustrating as you most probably already know.
I have been looking for cures over the web as there are many out there. Below you will find a list of all these including the one that worked for me. Also, this list is in chronological order of what seems to be most successful. It is a process of elimination but it has to be done.
The symptoms of iPhone no sound Problem/ Issues include:
– iPhone will ring but speaker will not work for anything else.
– iPhone no sound at all for calls, apps, music, etc
– iPhone no sound as stuck in headphone mode
Follow these steps and hopefully, your iPhone will be back to its prior glory.
iPhone No Sound – How To Fix & Tutorials 2020
Step 1 – Check Silent Mode Switch
Loud/ Silent switch on the exterior of the iPhone is switched to the silent mode which is orange. If so, flick the other way to loud mode. This is a step that so many people miss, but it is the simplest! Also once you have flicked the silent mode off, ensure your volume is turned up by pressing the volume buttons on the side.
Step 2 – Restart Your iPhone
To restart the iPhone, hold the power switch and home button together for 10 seconds. This will restart your iPhone, you will not lose any media, contacts, data, etc. If there is a temporary glitch on the iPhone this will eliminate that glitch. Also if there is a glitch this may help terminate a temporary glitch.
If you have an iPhone X or newer, you can simply restart the device by pressing and holding both the side button and one of the volume buttons. Once done, you’ll then be promoted to restart the iPhone. When off, click the side button to turn on again.
Step 3 – Reset iPhone Settings
Reset iPhone. Go to Settings> General> Reset> Reset all settings. Make sure to backup your iPhone to the cloud / iTunes as this will wipe your media, music, and apps although photos will be left on the iPhone. This is a follow on to step 2 and another way you will be able to eliminate the glitch on the iPhone.
Step 4 – Press Corner Of iPhone
This one is a bit weird but it worked for me for a while and has worked successfully for other people. Squeeze the bottom right hand corner of the phone above where the speaker is.
The left Side is a mic, not a speaker, so don’t worry about that side. Hold that grip for about 20 seconds. This is done as the connector may be loose and had to be repositioned correctly. Yes, strange but most of these solutions are!
Step 5 – Clean Your iPhone
Use a tooth brush to clean the docking area where you charge your iPhone. With dirt, dust, grime, and so on it, may block the connectors working correctly and makes the phone think it is on a music dock. When you do this do it gently and get the bristles into there good.
Also if you use rubbing alcohol or acetone it will help get all the extra dirt out. As these products evaporate it will not do damage to the connectors. Do not use mineral terps when cleaning as it is oil based and will not dry!! This seems to be one of the most successful solutions. To avoid this happening in the future, its best to have a case that avoids dust and grime getting in.
Step 6 – Insert Headphones
Get your headphones and insert them into the headphone jack and then quickly pull them out. Continue this for a couple of minutes as sometimes it gets stuck in headphone mode so this normally undoes that. Also this may remove any dust or grime that may have been lodged in there.
You can also watch this video below which has a full list of fixes listed in this tutorial plus a few more that will restore sound to your iPhone!
Step 7 – Restore Your iPhone
Restore your iPhone on iTunes. Click on your iPhone icon when plugged into iTunes and go to restore. If you do this make sure your iPhone is backed up as YOU will loose all data, media, contacts, pics, and so on. This puts your iPhone back to factory settings.
This is similar to step 3 as it is a full reset of the device, this should help eliminate any glitch that have have come out in a recent update such as iOS7 or iOS8. Also when doing this step check for updates.
Step 8 – Jailbreak iPhone
Jailbreak your iPhone to find the file directories that are causing the fault. By doing this you are deleting the file that is making the iPhone think it is on a dock. You will still be able to use a music docking station etc. If you have a jail broken iPhone or willing to do it then this will be the best option for you. Very simple video and easy to follow, to jailbreak follow my simple tutorial.
Step 9 – Dry iPhone
This worked for me!! The squeezing step worked for me for a small amount of time. Not much else worked so thought I would try my own cure…. An old hair dryer!! Turn on low heat and hover over the speaker outlet for about 5 minutes.
I also did the headphone jack as well. There must of been some residual moisture build up which the hair dryer eliminated. The speaker was sputtering on and off during this time but finally came to life :). If you don’t have a hair dryer, you can also put your iPhone in dry rice while turned off. This can suck up all that unwanted moisture. Best to leave in rice for at lease 12 hours.
Step 10 – Hardware Problem
It may be a hardware problem and simply need to get a replacement through your provider who may offer insurance if chosen or apple support. This no sound and speaker is getting more known know by Apple there is a good chance you may get a replacement or a hardware fix.
Step 11 – Ultimate Destruction
If iPhone still has no sound there is always ultimate elimination… Not endorsed. See below….
**** UPDATE **** 18/03/20
Thank you everyone for such an overwhelming response! Also to those that have put up there own solutions that have worked for there iPhones. Initially when I created this website I did not envision the large response of people with the same issues. So here are some new solutions and steps that are popular on the comment feed.
iPhone No Sound Solution Step 12
As dirt and grime like to build up in the charging connectors of the iPhone it is necessary to clean it out. Similar to the step with cleaning it with a toothbrush you will be using compressed air instead. The best and easiest way you can do this is to blow air out your mouth with a good force into where the iPhone would get charged.
Do this for 1 minute to insure that it removes any dust or dirt particles. After that, plug and unplug your charger into the slot about 5-10 times.
iPhone No Sound Solution Step 13
This is similar to the step above but you will be cleaning out the headphone jack on the iPhone instead of the charging connectors. As above blow into the headphone jack for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, this should vanish any dust or dirt that is lodged in there.
Once that is done insert a ear bud/ q tip into the headphone jack and twist for about 30 seconds. Â That should dislodge any other dirt or grime that the blowing process may have missed.
If your iPhone X is not turning on, then you should check out my full guide here.
iPhone No Sound Solution Step 14
There have been more than a dozen comments saying that bluetooth may be interfering with the sound on the iPhone. One good method is to insure that your iPhone is not connected to any bluetooth device as it may be playing sound thru that device. Also another successful step that has been recommended is to turn off bluetooth and then turn on again.
iPhone Has No Sound Step 15
As a continuation to step 5, there have also been several reports of people who have also cleaned their iPhone with a wooden toothpick.
While a toothbrush works quite well, there is typically quite a lot of dirt still stuck in the charing port which can only be gotten out with a pointy object. Just be careful not todo any damage to your iPhone charge port. This seems to work well with older iPhone 4 and also the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
These are just some of the steps I have found and come up with which have shown success for iPhones with no sound.
Abhi says
Thanks so much. Tried few of the methods and also then Switched off iPhone entire night. Morning it started working.
iBlackdude says
Using a dryer to blow the bottom of my iPhone 5 solved the problem.
Thanks a million.
Gavinpm says
This worked for me just a few minutes ago.
Go to ‘phone’, dial any number – your home landline for example. Activate speakerphone using the ‘speaker’ icon.
Wait for the phone to ring, hopefully you will now hear the ringing tone through your phone’s speaker.
End the call. Open ‘music’ and play a track, if you could hear the ringing tone at the step above you should be hearing your music via the phone speakers.
Gavin
Haifa says
Thankssss toooo much
The one realy worked with my iphone4s was
blowing in the speaker right botom
Now i can hear voice in youtube 🙂
Denise says
It works for me!!! So happy 😉 thank you
Razak Singapore says
Thank god ….. Thanks dude I follow hair dryer step n my phone is normal
Brandon says
Step 5 tooth brush and a little rubbing alchahol worked! Muchos gracias
Jackie says
Wow! I have just carried out several steps to no avail until I tried the hairdryer trick. I now have sounds again. Thank you so much! Fantastic. Cheers for that.
Fabio says
Hi guys,
I tried all of the steps , didn’t work , when i plug the earphones i hear the sounds very well, please help
Maha says
Thank god … That’s really help after 2 monthes without sound my iphone 4s voice now work perfectly ..
I used aceton to clean it . Then hair drayer and finally I restarted my phone
by using step 2. Thanks alot ^^
Reddevil says
Since the ios6 I’ve lost sound except when I use earplugs…I’ve tried everything, pls help I love my 4s!!!
Marcos says
The hair dryer worked. Who would’ve thought? Amazing!!! Thank you
Chris says
I had tried most of these tricks before I visited your site. I’ve had this problem before and it was always fixed by cleaning the headphone jack. This time it’s been five days of trying anything and everything with no success. I read your tip of cleaning the charging port with a toothbrush.. and honestly, I thought seriously, what does that have to do with it.. I had a bad attitude about it–figuring nothing would help at this point. But I thought, what the heck..I’ll try anything. Well I’m sure glad that I did because even though I don’t use a dock, mine evidently had some dust or something telling it it was docked. I cleaned it and checked the sound and it didn’t work. So I gave up. The phone timed out and locked itself and the next time I picked it up and slid to unlock it clicked… and I literally was in shock!!! Tried an incoming call and everything is back to normal.. Thank you God!!!!! So thank you very much for your information and I had to eat my bad attitude!! lol But I’m grateful because I seriously thought I was to the point of speaker repair? or a new phone–and I didn’t want to do either. So thank you thank you thank you!!!!!
Dogfoodparodise says
Cleaned it with the tooth brush and it works great now thank you!
josephine says
no sound on iphone 4s try everthing a bove
Jessica says
My phone’s speaker worked for phone calls, speaker phone etc. but NOT for music and alerts. I tried all steps except for the hairdryer and doing a complete reset (back to factory settings) & nothing worked. Then I went through I retried everything & pushing and holding down on the right corner worked!!! I think it worked the 2nd time & not the 1st because I was frustrated and did it really hard! Thank you SO much.
Ed says
The “squeeze the bottom right hand corner of the phone above where the speaker is” solution worked! Crazy! Thank you so much, your site just saved me a helluva lot of time and money.
Ed W.
Court says
Blow dryer worked. Cool screen display said the temp was to hot to use the iPhone. Waited 4 it to cool down and it worked!!!! Thanks!!!
M says
Thank you so much for this job aid! Mine was easy and silly, Step 1. I reset the phone several times, tried all other options, and then saw-Orange button was on!
Nam says
Amazing, step 4 worked for me! Tried the others, didn’t work, then thought: “what the heck…” and after a squeezing a while, I now got sound! Thanks!
satish says
By doing this it worked for me….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJg7qp_Tz…
Delete this file –
“com.apple.iapd.plist”
from
Root/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/
Lee says
Step 5 still is the most successful fix for this problem! Never thought there could be that much lint and crap in that port.
Thank you!!
A says
Hair dryer worked for me!
Thank you!!!!!
Smurf235 says
Hairdryer worked for me. Before i had to reset or restart my iPhone 5 almost everyday to get the sound back working. Now it has been working fine for several days. I hope it stays that way.
MagicTH says
I found the problem on my 4S. None of the above. I had “Do Not Disturb” on in Notifications from 10 pm to 7 am. Message tones worked when the phone was on, but not if the screen was dark/locked. Changing the start/stop times did not work. Turning “Do Not Disturb” off solved the problem.
CrisDeveloper says
It works! thanks!
Jeff Abrahams says
I thought I was SOL until I found your site, sir. I had the pleasure of spending last night cleaning the dust out of my port with a floss pick, a toothbrush, leaving my iPhone in the freezer for minutes at a time, and making calls to Apple support. I can’t believe that you had an entire site dedicated to this cause. Well done man. I can’t thank you enough. That com.apple.iapd.plist file did the trick!
Ash says
My iphone4 has no sound at all cant hear my music or phone calls unless on speaker. Can’t hear my phone ring either. When I try turn up volume it says (headphones) but there not connected it is acting like they are. Any suggestions??
mcflymonster says
Gavin’s dialing the phone trick worked for me
“Go to ‘phone’, dial any number – your home landline for example. Activate speakerphone using the ‘speaker’ icon.
Wait for the phone to ring, hopefully you will now hear the ringing tone through your phone’s speaker.
End the call. Open ‘music’ and play a track, if you could hear the ringing tone at the step above you should be hearing your music via the phone speakers.”
Very tidy – thanks all for sharing
Ash says
Arhh that didn’t work I can speak on calls if on speaker. My phone just says headphones but there not plugged in!
pleasedas punch says
pressing the bottom right corner worked for me. Now can you tell me how to pick the lottery numbers. Seriously absolutely amazing !!!! RESPECT
Jocelle says
oh my gosh!., just tried to blow dry my iphone!. and it work!. amazing. can’t believe it!. thank you so much
luigi911 says
have you tried the jail breaking step? that sounds very similar to the problem I came across.
Brian says
Don’t use alcohol or anything else vapors can damage the screen from the inside. Be careful.
I used a very small amount on the brush to clean the charging dock, held it upright so debris and any alcohol would not get inside the phone. Let the phone sit for several hours before turning it back on. Was not happy with the result. Screen is permanently covered with a cloudy film from the inside.
However the hair dryer worked
Lindsay says
Mine was fixed by holding the phone at opposite corners and twisting/flexing the phone a little bit. This is a variation of presing it in one corner. I had sound from my speaker phone speakers and headphones, but none from the ear speaker (when talking on the phone)… Now it’s working again!
dave says
worked so well thanks
luigi911 says
did you use actual alcohol?
Christian says
So. I tried all of the things you mentioned. Much appreciated. Pushing down over the speaker created a bit of static but that’s about it. Called apple. 52 days over my warranty for hardware. They won’t do anything for me except charge me 200 bucks for a replacement phone. At least those aren’t made in china. I am so angry I could spit. The company admits the Chinese made phones are crap but then won’t replace them when they break. No fault of my own. I really hate this company. Last Motorola phone lasted 8 years. Might have to go back – after I take a piece out of the poor schmuck at my local Genius Bar. I’m just disgusted.
Manuel says
Here’s a link to my solution if you have dock connector problems (after docking there’s no more sound and its damn annoying!)
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4729444
M
Shawn says
I had junk in the dock, didnt even know it? Blasted with some duster cleaner and all is well! Never would have thought of that, it was so weird, everything worked, just no sound…..but worked when plugged into a speaker jack.
Number 5 worked for me, thanks!